1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for managing data flow in a network communication environment such as Ethernet, Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet environments. In particular, the present invention relates to a network device for managing data flow based on a receiving-side flow control scheme. The network device of the invention can be implemented on a semiconductor substrate such as a silicon chip. The present invention also relates to a method of managing data flow based on a receiving-side flow control scheme which can be implemented on a semiconductor substrate or in a software application, or a combination of both.
2. Description of the Related Art
High speed networking devices, such as switches and switching systems, are becoming more significant in the communication network environment, and therefore are in great demand. As the amount of data and communication between network devices increases, so does the possibility of data congestion on the network. For example, when multiple consecutive bursts of large data packets are received at a destination device on the network, congestion of data flow can occur which can significantly slow down the traffic and flow of information. Accordingly, fair and efficient data flow control and management systems are important in minimizing or possibly eliminating such data congestion.